Military Daddies’ Nanny (Lucky Women’s Daddies Reverse Harem #1)

Chapter 6

Carlos

I pull up to Drew's house, same as I do most weekends to hang out with the guys and check in on how things are going. As I get out of my truck, I can hear raised voices coming from inside.

That's not too unusual when it comes to Drew. The man can get riled up over just about anything. He’s pretty much the most stubborn bastard I know. What is unusual is the higher-pitched voice I can make out amidst Drew's gruff tones. It’s a woman's voice, and it sounds like they are in the middle of quite the argument.

I walk up to the front door and let myself in like I always do. Drew and this mystery woman are going at it in the living room, her cheeks are flushed as she argues with Drew.

Despite the situation, I can't help but notice how attractive she is—curvy in all the right places, gorgeous green eyes that seem to blaze with passion as she speaks, and a wild mane of chestnut-brown hair surrounding her face.

Drew is towering over her, his massive frame making the woman seem almost delicate by comparison, but she doesn't back down an inch. If anything, she seems to get more and more riled up the more Drew opens his mouth to argue back at her.

I watch the scene playing out with amusement for a few moments before clearing my throat loudly to announce my presence.

"Everything okay over here?" I ask lightly as they both turn to look at me.

The woman's eyes go wide, and her cheeks flush an even deeper shade of crimson as she seems to suddenly become aware of the raised voices and heated words she's been flinging around.

Drew just glowers at me, which somehow makes the whole situation even funnier. Clearly this woman is giving him a run for his money.

"Carlos," Drew says gruffly, "I didn't hear you come in."

"You know I'm here every Saturday to hang out, man," I reply easily. "Is this the new nanny Nathan was talking about earlier today?"

The words seem to snap Drew back to reality, and he gestures vaguely at the woman. "Yeah. This is Nancy."

"Ah, I see," I say with a grin, looking her over appreciatively. "Nice to meet you, Nancy. Though I wish it were under better circumstances than you two going at it right off the bat."

She seems flustered but holds my gaze steadily. "It's nice to meet you too, Carlos. I'm sorry you had to walk into that mess." Her voice is light and melodic, a stark contrast to the heated tone she'd been using with Drew just moments before.

"No need to apologize," I assure her. "I've known Drew long enough to be used to his boneheaded behavior by now."

I shoot a wink her way, making sure she knows I'm kidding around with my friend, at least partially. She surprises me by letting out a sudden peal of laughter that makes her whole face light up in a radiant smile.

"That's fair," she admits with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'll leave you boys to have your guy time. I need to get dinner started anyway."

With that, she brushes past me, the faint scent of her shampoo lingering behind her for a few moments. The second she's gone, I turn to Drew with one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"She seems…feisty," I remark, unable to keep the grin off my face even as Drew paces, evidently still riled up from their earlier confrontation. "What did you do to piss her off already?"

Drew shakes his head, clearly conflicted over the situation. He sinks down onto the couch, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly.

"We were talking about getting Bella involved in some more…age-appropriate activities," he says. "Trying to get her to branch out, make some friends, that kind of thing. Nancy thought maybe getting her into makeup and fashion would help build her confidence."

"That sounds like a reasonable suggestion to me," I say with a shrug, still not seeing what the issue is.

"Maybe, but it's just very…adult," he says, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know anything about that stuff. And I worry about Bella being interested in boys and…” He throws his hands up in exasperation. “Well, you know how girls can be at that age!"

I have to resist the urge to laugh out loud at Drew's awkwardness. Of course, the big tough military man would get uncomfortable at the idea of having to deal with a teenage daughter and all the messy stuff that comes along with that age.

"Drew, man, she's thirteen," I point out, unable to keep the amusement out of my voice entirely. "She's going to start being interested in all that 'adult' stuff whether you like it or not. You can't stop her from growing up."

He scowls at me, clearly not loving my rational take on the situation. Drew has always liked being in control, a side effect of his time on active duty, and the idea of his little girl getting older is not something he seems ready for.

"I know that," he growls. "I just don't want to encourage it. There's no need to rush things."

"There's also no need to go overboard in the opposite direction and completely shut it down," I argue. "That's only going to make her rebel more. Trust me, I've seen it happen."

Being an orphan who grew up in the system, I've witnessed plenty of kids act out when their parents or guardians were too overbearing about things like dating, makeup, or just general teenage interests. It never ended well and typically resulted in a whole lot of screaming matches and hurt feelings.

"Nancy is just trying to help Bella ease into that stage of her life in a healthy way," I continue. "You hired her as a nanny, so you've gotta let her do her job, man."

Drew doesn't look convinced, his brow furrowing in that stubborn way I know so well. We've been buddies since our days in the service together and he hasn't changed one bit in that regard. Luckily, I also know how to handle him when he gets like this.

"Look, how about this?" I suggest, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let Nancy do her thing with Bella. Take the hands-off approach for once in your life. If it gets out of hand or goes somewhere you're not comfortable with, then you can put your foot down. But don't go pouring water on the fire before it even gets lit, you know?"

Drew is silent for a few long moments, weighing my words. Finally, he blows out a long breath and gives a curt nod of his head.

"Fine," he relents gruffly. "I'll try to give her some space to work with Bella. As long as it doesn't get crazy."

"There ‘ya go!" I crow in approval, hiding my smirk. "Compromise, just like old times."

He shoots me a withering look, not at all amused by my joking tone. Drew has always been too tightly wound for his own good, even back in our training days. Luckily for him, I'm an expert at getting him to unwind, whether he wants to or not.

The sound of clattering pots and pans drifting in from the kitchen reminds me of Nancy's presence. I feel a sudden urge to go poke my nose in and get to know this feisty new addition to the household better.

From what I've seen so far, she's not going to let Drew's stubbornness push her around. I have a feeling the two of them are going to butt heads quite a bit, and I definitely want a front-row seat for the show.

"C'mon, let's go see if Nancy needs any help with dinner," I suggest, hauling myself up off the couch. "Can't resist the chance to get a closer look at the woman who has you so stressed out."

I don't give Drew a chance to protest before striding off toward the kitchen, grinning to myself as I hear his telltale grunt of annoyance from behind me.

This is going to be fun .

The kitchen is a raucous scene of pots and pans when I arrive. Nancy is a whirlwind of motion, her hair tied up haphazardly as she moves from counter to stove to fridge, gathering ingredients. I pause in the doorway, content to simply watch her work for a few moments while she is oblivious to my presence.

She moves with an effortless grace, her body swaying subtly to some inner rhythm as she cooks. Despite the clear frenzy of activity, there is an unmistakable peacefulness about her movements too.

Watching her work captivates me. There is just something about a woman completely in her element that is incredibly attractive. My eyes trace over the swell of her hips and the curve of her waist, admiring the way her simple cotton dress clings to her soft, feminine shape.

"Need an extra pair of hands in here?"

The words slip out before I can reconsider, my voice breaking the rhythm of her movements. Nancy spins toward me, those green eyes going wide again for just a split second, before a bright smile lights up her face.

"Carlos! I didn't see you come in," she says warmly. "But you're more than welcome to join if you really don't mind lending a hand."

"Mind? Darlin', I'd be delighted," I assure her with an easy grin, sauntering further into the kitchen.

I come up beside her at the counter, giving an exaggerated sniff of the simmering pots. "Something smells amazing already. Whatcha got cooking?"

"Just some soup and bread to start," she replies, handing me a knife and gesturing to a pile of vegetables waiting to be chopped. "Think you can handle chopping up those veggies for me?"

I feign mild offense as I take up the knife, getting to work. "Please, I'll have you know I was the best chef in my entire platoon back in the day," I boast with a wink. "The guys used to fight over who got to be my kitchen assistant."

That draws another peal of that bright, melodic laughter from her that makes my chest feel all warm. Yeah, this woman is something else .

"Is that so?" Nancy asks, her tone dripping with amusement. "Well then, I'll be sure to take good notes from the master chef."

We fall into an easy back-and-forth banter as we work side-by-side in the kitchen, my military stories steadily growing more ridiculous and exaggerated.

She plays along perfectly, her quickfire quips volleying effortlessly back at me in a way that keeps me on my toes. The woman is whip-smart along with being gorgeous—a rare and deadly combination.

Before long, we have a whole spread of dishes prepped and set out on the dining room table, from the simple soup and bread to some kind of complicated pasta bake that smells incredible.

Nancy lets out a satisfied hum as she surveys our handiwork, looking for all the world like a painter admiring her latest masterpiece.

"Well, maestro," she says, turning that bright smile my way again, "I do believe our work here is done. Thank you for your help."

"The pleasure was all mine, miss," I reply easily, reaching out to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

My fingers linger perhaps a beat too long against the soft skin of her neck, that flirtatious spark crackling between us for a charged moment.

Her breath catches in her throat, those green eyes locked intensely on mine. Then, just like that, the spell is broken by the sound of Drew and the kids clattering through the front door, shattering the tension.

Nancy blinks rapidly, almost seeming to shake herself back to reality as she steps back, tucking that tendril of hair behind her ear again nervously.

"I, uh...I should go get them settled for dinner," she murmurs, barely meeting my gaze before practically fleeing the dining room.

I watch her go, grinning wolfishly to myself. I have a feeling I'm going to really enjoy getting to know this new addition to the household better.

Provided Drew doesn't completely scare the poor woman off first .

Speaking of the devil, Drew enters the dining room a moment later, looking harried from the effort of wrangling his sullen preteens into the house, apparently. He is trailed by his kids, a towheaded little boy and a teenage girl who look like they have perpetual storm clouds over their heads.

"There you are," Drew says gruffly, barely even acknowledging the meal Nancy and I have prepared. "Did you rile Nancy up again while I was gone?"

"Me? Never," I reply, all mock innocence. "We were just getting better acquainted in the kitchen is all. Nancy's quite the chef."

Drew grunts in response, which I take as his version of grudging acceptance. The man has all the social graces of a bull in a china shop most days.

"Whatever. Just don't go harassing the poor woman, you hear?" he says gruffly. "She's here to do a job, not deal with your nonsense."

I hold up my hands in surrender, hiding my grin. If Drew only knew the kinds of thoughts I've already been entertaining about his new, feisty nanny, he'd probably be hurling me right back out the front door.

Nancy, who had slipped out when I was speaking with Drew, returns to the dining room. She manages to get the kids settled at the table, though they still look like a couple of rain clouds in desperate need of some sunshine.

"All right everyone, let's dig in before it gets cold!" Nancy announces in a bright, cheerful tone completely at odds with the sullen vibes radiating from the children.

She starts piling food onto plates, portioning out healthy servings for the two kids. Drew watches in silence, his arms crossed over his broad chest, clearly appraising her every move. I sidle up beside him, keeping my voice low.

"She's good with them, isn't she?" I murmur. "You can already see how she's gonna turn those gloomy babies into bright rays of sunshine before too long."

"Hmm," is Drew's noncommittal response, but I see that pensive look in his eye that says he is weighing my words, whether he wants to admit it or not.

"You've gotta learn to loosen the reins a little, hermano ," I advise, slapping him companionably on the back. "Those kids need some fun in their lives just as much as they need rules and discipline. Let Nancy give them that, yeah?"

Drew shoots me a sideways look at that but doesn't respond, turning his focus to the table instead. The kids are digging in, likely mollified by Nancy's home-cooked comfort food if nothing else, while she herself is chattering lightly and keeping the conversation flowing. I lean back against the wall, content to observe her in action.

She really does have a warmth about her, an ability to put anyone at ease it seems. Even Drew's moody daughter has cracked a hint of a smile at some quippy comment Nancy makes about school or whatever they are discussing.

Her energy is nothing but positive, a stark contrast to the tense awkwardness I'm used to seeing between Drew and his kids. As if she can feel my eyes on her, Nancy's gaze flicks up suddenly, catching me staring.

Rather than being abashed, she merely flashes me a quick wink and a grin before turning her attention back to the kids, seamlessly pulling them into another conversation without missing a beat. I feel heat stirring low in my abdomen at the cheeky move, a slow smile spreading across my own face.

I shake my head, smiling secretly. I can already tell she's not going to make things easy for my buddy Drew.

Not that I'm complaining. I've got a feeling I'm going to thoroughly enjoy watching the fireworks between those two hotheads. And who knows, maybe I'll even get to enjoy a little more up-close appreciation of Nancy's finer qualities along the way.

Yeah, this woman is going to keep things very interesting around here, that’s for sure.